Francis Daniels, lots 26 and 27, range 2, was born in Yorkville, Toronto, in 1841. He is the fifth son in a family of eight sons and two daughters born to William Daniels, who emigrated from England in 1837, and followed the business of market gardening for a number of years. Francis for a long time assisted his father in the business, and in 1871 he purchased the farm on which he now resides, and in connection with general farming does a market gardening business. He married in 1866 Susan Lane, a native of the United States; they have a family of five children, two girls and three boys. (vol. II, p. 250)
Mark Dawson, lot 14, concession 3, is the second son now living of the late Mark Dawson mentioned elsewhere. Our subject was brought up to farming and owns a good farm in this township, which he has leased in consequence of the ill-health of his wife and himself, and is now living in Weston. He married in 1864 Ellen Jane Waugh, of Irish parentage, by whom he has a family of eight children. The family belong to the Methodist persuasion. (vol. II, p. 150)
William Dawson, lot 15, concession 3, was born on the farm he now owns and occupies, which formerly belonged to his father, the late Mark Dawson, whom emigrated from England in 1824, and settled upon the farm the same year. He died in the fall of 1865. Mr. William Dawson was married in 1872 to Elizabeth Hadden, a Canadian by birth; they have a family of seven children. He has two brothers, Mark, now living in Weston, and Thomas, in the Township of Essa. (vol. II, p. 250)
John Doyle, lot 26, concession 3, was born in this township on February 1, 1830, being the third son of the late James Doyle, who was an early settler in Etobicoke. His father emigrated from the County of Wexford, Ireland, in 1819, and landed in New York, having made extraordinarily quick sailing across the Atlantic in nineteen days. He remained for a time in New York State and worked on the Lockport Canal, and while there married; shortly afterwards came to Canada and settled in Vaughan Township, where he stayed two years. He then purchased in 1828 the farm in Etobicoke on which his son John now resides, where he lived until his death in 1873. He had a family of twelve children, five boys and seven girls. The subject of this sketch travelled a good deal in his youth through the United States, and finally in 1864 settled down on the old homestead. He married in 1866 Mary Egan, a Canadian by birth; they have a family of six boys and two girls, and have buried one – a boy. In religion the family are of the Roman Catholic faith. (vol. II, p. 251)
John Duck, hotel proprietor, Mimico, was born near Newmarket, in Whitchurch Township, and is the son of William Duck, who is still living. Our subject was brought up to farming, but ultimately entered the hotel business, and commenced on Colborne Street, Toronto, which place he left in 1866. He belonged to the band of the 10th Royals, and accompanied the regiment to Ridgeway at the time of the Fenian Raid. From there he went to bush farm in the Township of Bentinck where he stayed three years, and then bought the property on which he now lives, known as Duck’s Hotel, situated at the mouth of the Humber. Placed as it is in the midst of one of the most attractive summer resorts of the inhabitants of the city, Mr. Duck has spared no expense to beautify and adorn his extensive pleasure grounds, which during the season are in great demand for pic-nics, etc. He built the wharf at the mouth of the Humber which bears his name, and through his enterprise was formed the company who run the steamboat Annie Craig, to and fro between Toronto and the wharf in question. Mr. Duck has been presented with a gold watch and a medal by the Humane Society for saving life. He married in 1863 Rhoda Trotter, by whom he has six children living, one having died. (vol. II, p. 251)
John Dillon Evans, J.P., Islington, was born in the Township of Trafalgar, in the County of Halton, on July 19, 1841. His father John Evans, son of Richard and Isabella Evans (Mrs. Evans’ maiden name was Anderson), of County Cavan, Ireland, came to Toronto in 1825. The city was then in its infancy, and he used to tell that there were only five brick houses then in it. In 1834 he went to New York, and on the 19th of April, 1837, was married by the late Bishop Onderdenck to Eliza Dillon, daughter of Christopher and Elizabeth (nee Drummond) Dillon, of Dublin, Ireland. John Evans and wife then settled on Lot 3, concession 5, New Survey, Trafalgar, where he lived until his death in 1863. During the Rebellion of 1837 he turned out with the militia to do his duty as a loyal citizen in quelling the Rebels. John Dillon Evans came to Etobicoke in 1872, having purchased Lot 5 in the first range of the township. He at once turned his attention to fruit-growing, which he has since followed. In 1879 he removed to the Village of Islington where he now resides. He was married on the 30th of January, 1867, by the Rev. Cannon Tremayne, to Isabella Beatty, third daughter of the late Joseph Beatty, of Tyrone, Ireland, by whom he has three children. Mr. Evans was in 1876 appointed a Justice of the Peace. He has taken an active part in promoting the interests of the Etobicoke Agricultural Society, of which he has been a director about ten years, and several times President. Mr. Evans was three years a Councillor, five years a Deputy-reeve, and is now the Reeve of the township. (vol. II, p. 252)
John Foote, lot 25, concession A, was born in Newfoundland in 1816, and came with his parents and family to Ontario in 1844. His father, the late John Foote, settled on the farm on which the subject of this sketch and his brother William still live. Neither of the brothers are married. (vol. II, p. 252)
James Fuller, lots 19 and 21, concession E, was born in Norfolk County, England, in 1846, and emigrated to Canada in 1871. He lived in Toronto seven years, and was in the employment of the Grand Trunk Railway during that period. In 1878 he purchased the farm where he now lives, which he cultivates principally for vegetables, fruit, etc., which he disposes of in the city. He married in 1867 in England Sophia Percy, by whom he has two children, both girls. (vol. II, p. 252)
George Garbutt, lot 28, concession B, is a native of this township, and was born in 1829, being the eldest son of the late George Garbutt, who emigrated from Yorkshire, England, in 1819. His father worked in Toronto for a short time, and subsequently drew land in the Township of Albion, where he remained but a few months, afterwards purchasing land in Etobicoke. He married in 1825 Elizabeth, widow of the late Daniel Trimmer, by whom he had a family of three sons and two daughters, George being the only surviving son. The latter commenced farming on his own account on concession A of this township, in 1863. He married in 1864 Hannah Chapman; they have a family of eight children. Mr. Garbutt is a member of the Baptist Church. We may mention that our subject has been very successful in getting together a comfortable home for himself and family. At the time of the settlement of Mr. Garbutt, sen’r, in the township, there was no cleared land after leaving lot 28, concession A, Etobicoke, and no road but blazed trees from there to Albion. (vol. II, p. 253)
James Gardhouse, lots 32, 33 and 34, concession 4, was born in Cumberland, England, 1834, and came to Canada with his father and family in 1837. They came direct to Toronto, where they remained three months, and the father having purchased land in Etobicoke on lots 32, 33 and 34, concession 4, they went and settled there, the same farm being now in the possession of our subject. James Gardhouse married in 1855 Ann Stobbart, by whom he has a family of eight children. The family are adherents of the Baptist Church. (vol. II, p. 253)
Thomas Griffiths, hotel proprietor, Thistletown Village, was born in York Township in 1856, being the fourth son of Matthew Griffiths of the same township, who was one of the earliest settlers in York, having emigrated from the County Cavan, Ireland, in company with three brothers. Thomas followed farming, and is proprietor of the only hotel in the Village of Thistletown, which he has kept three years. He married in 1880 Maria Ramsey, by whom he has a family of two children. They are adherents of the English Church. (vol. II, p. 253)
William Grubb, lots 30 and 31, concession B, is a native of Edinburgh, Scotland, and was born in the year 1812. He emigrated to Canada in 1832 accompanied by his uncle, William Grubb, and after a rough passage, extending over six weeks, they were ultimately wrecked on the coast of New Brunswick, losing their personal effects, but fortunately without loss of life. After a delay of six weeks, during which time they remained without shelter, they were taken to Quebec, and thence to Montreal, from which city they removed to Toronto, after a stay there of ten days. The year following their arrival in Toronto our subject’s father, the late John Grubb, came out from Scotland, and the father and son, after considerable trouble, finally settled on the farm now owned by the latter. Mr. Grubb married in 1850 Mary Hetherington, of English birth. In religion the family belong to the English Church. The late Mr. John Grubb was one of the first to introduce plank roads in the district, and was President of the Weston Plank Road at the time of its building. (vol. II, p. 253)
Francis Hendry, lot B, concession 1, L.S.R., was born in the Village of Eglington, York County, in 1837, being a son of the late George Hendry, who emigrated from Ross-shire, Scotland, in 1831. The latter followed farming, and was a man well-known and respected in the township. He moved in 1849 to the farm, on which Francis now lives, where he died. Two brothers, Robert and Donald, reside with our subject on the old homestead. He married in 1882 Lavinia Meredith, of English parentage, by whom he has one child. (vol. II, p. 254)
Octavius L. Hicks, hotel proprietor, Mimico, was born near Dundee, Scotland, in 1852, and came to America in 1871; after spending one year in the United States, he came to Canada and located for a short time in Hamilton, eventually taking up his residence in Toronto, where he carried on business as contractor and builder for about two years. In 1873 he removed to the mouth of the Humber and commenced the business he had formerly followed in England (boat building), which he still continues in conjunction with his hotel business. His house, “The Royal Oak”, has excellent accommodation for excursionists, pleasure and pic-nic parties, and contains a large room suitable for balls, banquets, etc. He has a large variety of pleasure boats and yachts to order. He is the inventor and patentee of the roller sliding-seats for racing boats, similar to those used by Mr. Hanlan. Mr. Hicks has been instrumental in saving the lives of five persons on four different occasions, having rescued two persons at one time. He also formed one of the company who started the Annie Craig steamboat running daily in the season between the Humber and the city. He was married in 1874 to Hannah Taverner, by whom he has five children, all boys. (vol. II, p. 254)
D.F. Horner, lots 8, 9, and 10, concession 2, was born in the Township of Markham, York County, being the seventh son of Mr. Emanuel Horner, one of the first settlers in Markham Township. His father, in conjunction with his uncle, the late Mr. Daniel Horner, built the first steam saw-mill in this township, and in connection with his lumber business farmed on an extensive scale. Our subject lived with his father until twenty years of age, and then went into business on his own account, and ran a steam saw-mill for several years. He afterwards settled down on the old homestead and turned his attention to farming, but at the expiration of seven years he moved to Toronto, and was engaged in buying the selling real estate for about four years, when he purchased the farm of three hundred acres on which he has since resided. He married in 1861; his wife’s maiden name was Elizabeth Wagg, born in Canada of English parentage on her father’s side, her mother being an American. Their family consists of seven children. Mr. Horner has taken some interest in municipal matters, and is at present a member of the Township Council, having occupied that position for four years. (vol. II, p. 254)